


Lost in You

by wakeupflawless



Series: Irresistible [2]
Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Judgy White Ladies, Light BDSM, Marriage, Racist comments, Roleplay, Romance, Sequel, Sexual Content, daddy Rio, domestic AU, prompt fills
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:13:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25418245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wakeupflawless/pseuds/wakeupflawless
Summary: Beth and Rio navigate marriage as their daughter grows up. Sequel to my High School AU Irresistible.
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Series: Irresistible [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841020
Comments: 100
Kudos: 422





	1. By the Sword

A sharp cry pierced the otherwise quiet loft. Beth’s eyes had snapped open just a second before, the three hour mark indicating that the time for sleep was over, and that the baby needed her attention. It was as if her body had adjusted its internal clock, and the primal instinct to feed and care for her child consumed her. Rio stirred next to her, his eyes cracking open.

“I got her.” Beth whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Rio grunted a response, closing his eyes again. At one-month-old Camila was still breast-feeding, and Beth planned to continue that trend for at least two more months before switching to the bottle. Until then, there wasn’t much Rio could do when their daughter cried for milk in the middle of the night. Besides, Beth was still on maternity leave, and Rio’s _unique_ line of profession didn’t come with paternity benefits.

Camila quieted when Beth picked her up from the crib, searching out her mother’s breasts and latching on instantly. Beth tiredly smiled down at her daughter, she hadn’t gotten a full night sleep since bringing the baby home, but watching Cami enthusiastically nurse at her breast was worth it.

Her daughter already had a thick covering of dark hair and impossibly dark eyes, just like her father’s. She grew every day and was beginning to form different facial expressions – other than screaming and staring blankly at her parents. Beth saw a hint of a smile ghost Cami’s lips the other day while she sucked on Rio’s finger. Both parents melted, Beth’s eyes shining with unshed tears.

Beth closed her eyes, rocking back and forth in the armchair as Cami nursed. When her daughter had gotten her fill Beth made quick work of changing her, having become an expert over the last few weeks.

She watched as Cami blinked sleepily in her crib with a belly full of milk and a fresh diaper. Once Cami was asleep, Beth crawled back into bed with her husband.

“She good?” He mumbled, wrapping an arm around her and tugging her against his chest.

“Yeah, just hungry,” Beth whispered back.

“Love you,” Rio said into her hair.

“Love you, too.” Beth smiled

The next morning before Cami awoke, Beth and Rio had a few quiet moments to themselves, kissing leisurely and giggling into each other’s necks. The doctor hadn’t cleared Beth for sex yet, they’d have to wait another couple weeks, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t fool around like they were teenagers again, teasing and touching with their fingertips and mouths.

“Fuck,” Rio groaned quietly as Beth pumped his cock in her hand, “Want you so bad.”

“Two more weeks,” Beth teased.

“Shit,” he hissed, bucking his hips upward, and coming with a quiet growl.

It was right on time, because a moment later Cami was crying. Beth giggled, wiping her hand on a tissue as Rio rolled out of bed, tugging up his boxer briefs. She watched as he held their daughter against his bare chest, rubbing her small back with his large hand soothingly. Cami sniffed, happy to be held by her father but clearly also upset that milk wouldn’t come from his nipples. She gave a few experimental cries, and Beth reached for her.

Rio watched with adoration as Beth fed their daughter.

“Remember we’re lookin’ at two houses today,” Rio said suddenly.

“I know, it’s on the calendar,” Beth replied with a slight roll of her eyes, offended that Rio would think she’d forgotten. Her calendar was her lifeline, and if a plan wasn’t on it, it wasn’t happening.

“Course it is,” he agreed easily, leaning down to kiss Beth’s head, then Cami’s. She watched her husband’s chest flex as he straightened, heat pooling between her legs. Before Cami, they usually had sex at least twice a day, even when Beth was pregnant. She reached out, trailing her hand over Rio’s chest, gently tracing the new tattoo over his heart, their daughter’s name.

_Camila_

It was written in a beautiful cursive script, and Beth had cried when he came home the other week and shown her the new art adorning his body. She blamed the post-pregnancy hormones.

He had one for Beth too, of course, an infinity symbol on his shoulder blade, partially covering the bullet wound he’d sustained all those years ago, the bullet he’d taken for her, and Beth traced her fingertip upwards, lightly scratching the symbol with her nail.

“I miss you,” she breathed.

“I’m right here, mami,” he teased, bringing her hand up to his mouth and pressing a kiss against the back of it.

“You know what I mean,” she huffed.

“Two weeks,” he parroted back at her.

By the time Cami had finished her breakfast Rio was already dressed for the day. He took his daughter into his arms before leaving, cuddling her into his chest. Cami whined when he walked out the door, her lower lip wobbling threateningly.

“I know. I hate it when he leaves too,” Beth cooed, “But we’ll see him soon,”

Beth spent her morning entertaining Cami, cleaning the kitchen and online shopping for new baby clothes. By the time the afternoon rolled around she’d racked up a three hundred dollar bill on her husband’s credit card. _Oops,_ she thought to herself, clicking the “checkout” button on the screen.

xxx

The first house of the day was a firm no in Beth’s book. She walked around the kitchen, lips pursed, as Cami bounced in the baby carrier against her chest. The kitchen island was much too small, and the view to the living room was partially blocked.

“No way,” she whispered to Rio, who was looking at her with amusement. The realtor hovered nearby, pretending to be interested in something on her phone.

“It has a nice backyard,” Rio offered.

“These countertops are hideous,” she hissed.

Rio shrugged, his lips twitching. “Can always tear ‘em out and put in new ones,”

“With the amount we’re spending we shouldn’t have to do any home improvements,” Beth muttered back, obviously still displeased that they were looking at homes outside her budget range. She made good money at her job, but not even close to what Rio pulled in on a monthly basis.

He slung an arm around her shoulder, careful to mind the baby strapped to her chest. “I think we’re ready to see the next one,” he called out to the realtor, who straightened to attention, a bright smile on her face.

“Of course, Mr. Ramirez,” she gushed, and Beth could barely contain an eye-roll. “I just know Mrs. Ramirez is going to love this next one. It has a great open-concept space!”

It was still strange to be referred to by Rio’s surname instead of her own. She hadn’t officially changed it yet; she didn’t want any confusion when she eventually went back to work.

They followed the realtor to the next property, about a ten-minute drive. Cami loved car rides; Rio had taken her for a drive more than a few times when she refused to settle down at night. All it took was five minutes and she was out like a light. Now was no exception, Cami snoozed quietly in her car seat as they pulled into a beautiful, modern community. Beth’s interest peaked as they passed a large park, complete with a playground and picnic tables.

Like all the houses they’d toured before it was two-stories, with gorgeous exposed brick that had Beth swooning. Rio gave her a knowing look as he cut the engine, a smirk beginning to form on his handsome face.

“First impressions, Mrs. Ramirez?” he asked.

“Not bad,” she said, clearing her throat and moving to pluck Cami from her car seat.

Rio held the baby in the carrier this time, letting Beth move around the house. The realtor was right; it had a huge open concept kitchen and a large living room for entertaining. Beth fell in love with it almost immediately, especially the en suite off the master bedroom, complete with a Jacuzzi and massive walk-in closet.

“It’s brand new,” the realtor said excitedly, “You’d be the first owners.”

“Mhm. Lotsa rooms to christen,” Rio said to Beth, who couldn’t help but blush pink. “What you think, mama?”

“I… I like it,” Beth admitted.

“It don’t have enough bedrooms, though,” Rio said, and Beth barked out a laugh.

“Rio, it has four bedrooms, and we only need two!”

He raised an eyebrow playfully, “Yeah, ‘cept I’m tryna knock you up a few more times.”

“Oh my God,” she muttered, glancing at the realtor who was again attempting to give them a private moment by fiddling with her phone, but the light pink dusting her cheeks gave her away immediately. “And how many babies are you expecting me to have?”

“At least three more,” he said, leering at her from overtop Cami’s head.

“You’re impossible,” Beth hissed.

“The office could be converted into an extra bedroom,” the realtor blurted out suddenly, and Rio threw his head back, laughing loudly, making Cami whine against his chest.

“You think this is the one?” Rio asked, suddenly serious.

“How much?”

“We can certainly discuss pricing when we get back to my office,” the realtor chirped, her brown ponytail bobbing as she nodded enthusiastically. “There’s a few interested parties already, so we’d have to act fast.”

“Of course we do.” Beth muttered.

xxx

“C’mon, mami,” Rio tried from his place on the couch, Cami nestled happily in his arms.

“No,” Beth snapped, “It’s way too expensive!”

“It’s in a safe neighborhood, good schools in the district. And I saw you eyein’ that big park on the way in.”

Beth sighed, stirring the pasta sauce somewhat dejectedly. It had all gone downhill when they went back to the realtor’s office. The number she’d given for the house had made Beth’s eyes nearly pop out of her head. Rio had scrubbed his hand over his face, squaring his shoulders, ready for the fireworks. They’d eventually left the office, claiming they’d get back to the realtor the next day, Beth dragging Rio out of the office and swatting away his checkbook.

“There’s plenty of other neighborhoods with big parks,” Beth said defensively.

“Why you gotta be so fuckin’ stubborn?” Rio groaned.

“No bad language around the baby,” Beth snapped, her temper flaring and cheeks heating.

Rio, realizing his mistake, stood up, gently placing Cami in her crib and coming to press himself against Beth’s back, wrapping his arms around her middle.

“We can afford this house, Elizabeth,” he murmured, kissing her ear.

“ _You_ can,” she sniffed.

“ _We_ ,” he insisted, “Or did you forget we’re married? What’s mine is yours and whatnot,” Beth didn’t respond, gritting her teeth. Rio continued, “You love the house. And we don’t gotta worry about money. Our lives ain’t like before.”

The words hung heavy in the air. _Like before._ Before, when they were broke teenagers both trying to make ends meet. When Rio was hustling dime bags at school, working for the gang to provide for his family and Beth was trying to keep Annie fed and clothed. Beth felt her eyes grow wet, pushing away painful memories of the past.

“I know,” she choked out, “But what if something happens? What if…”

“Nothin’s gonna happen, alright? Cuz we’re gonna pay this house in full. Hey, look at me,” She let Rio turn her so their chests pressed together. He cupped her face in his large hands, swiping at her tears with his thumbs, “Let me take care of you and Cami. Let me do this.”

She met his dark gaze, and she saw the sincerity in his eyes, and also the shame. The shame that he’d left her alone for ten years, and she knew then that this was his way of apologizing, _again_. The past weighed just as heavily on him as it did her.

“I forgave you a long time ago,” Beth whispered, fisting his shirt in her hands. “You know that.”

“Yeah, but I never forgave myself,” he said lowly. “So let me buy this damn house,”

“I thought it was _we,_ ” she said playfully, a smile tugging at her lips.

The heavy fog lifted from his eyes, and he smiled. “ _We_ are gonna buy this damn house.”

xxx

The move had been hectic, Beth insisting on packing her own things this time around. They were constantly going back and forth between the new house and the loft and all sorts of different furniture stores. Amid all the chaos Beth had accidentally left her double breast pump in Rio’s G-wagon. She hadn’t thought it was a big deal, until her breasts began to ache in the middle of the Mexican restaurant her and Annie were having lunch in.

They were wrapping up, anyway. Annie had inhaled her enchiladas and downed two margaritas in a stunning display of thirst and hunger. Beth had forgone the margarita, Cami wasn’t breast-feeding anymore, but she still drank Beth’s milk from the bottle.

Annie’s phone vibrated, and she groaned as she read the message.

“Sorry, B. But Greg says there’s an emergency with Sadie. Probably a poop emergency. He’s so freakin’ squeamish,” Annie rolled her eyes.

Beth laughed, waving her hand. “Go ahead. I got the check,”

“Yeah you do,” Annie smirked, “Your boy bought you a damn house, think he can buy us lunch, too.”

Beth scoffed, offended. “ _I’m_ the one paying for lunch, thank you very much. And I helped buy that house.”

“Uh huh. Sure thing, sis,” Annie said, standing and grabbing her purse. “Give Cami a kiss from Auntie Annie,”

Cami was currently at Rio’s mom’s having some grandma time. His mother had moved back to the States as soon as her first grandchild had been born, eager to get her hands on the newborn. Beth appreciated Carmen’s help, she was always ready to babysit and help out at a moment’s notice.

Beth shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the waiter was taking so damn long to get the check, and she felt like her breasts were ready to burst. The lunch rush was in full swing, and she saw the top of the server’s head as it disappeared quickly into the kitchen. She reached into her purse, ready to dump cash on the table and run out to the nearest Target for a breast pump, only to realize she only had card, and that she’d spent the last of her cash that morning.

Fumbling in her bag, her breasts aching so painfully she nearly cried, she pulled out her phone and dialed Rio’s number.

“’Ey, mami,” he greeted easily on the second ring.

“Where are you?” she demanded breathlessly.

“What’s wrong?” Rio asked immediately.

“I forgot my pump in your car, and I think my boobs are about to burst open,” she winced, “I’m still at the restaurant.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’m close,” he said quickly into the phone, and she could hear a car door slam.

“God, please hurry,” she whimpered.

Beth quickly made her way to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She unbuttoned her shirt with shaky fingers, desperately trying to relieve the pressure in her chest. Her nipples leaked into the ugly nursing bra, and she bit back a groan.

A few moments later there was a knock on the door, followed by the sound of her husband’s voice. She nearly ripped the door off the hinges, yanking him in with her. He wordlessly offered her the pump, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar suction at her nipples.

“I bet the waiter thinks I dined and dashed,” she joked, once the ache had subsided. Rio chuckled, stroking her cheek softly. He had seen her push a human out of her vagina not too long ago, so she felt no embarrassment as he watched her pump.

“I’ll go settle up,” he said.

“Wait, take my card,” Beth insisted, nodding at her purse.

“Yeah, don’t think I look like an Elizabeth Marks,” Rio replied with a huff.

Thankfully no one knocked on the ladies room door while Beth pumped. When she finished up, storing the fresh bottles in her giant “mama bag” as Rio called it, she emerged from the bathroom in search of her husband, who, _of course,_ was speaking with the restaurant owner.

“Mrs. Ramirez,” the owner cooed as she made her way to the pair, “My deepest apologies, I didn’t know who you were. I’m David, the owner.”

She hadn’t changed her name yet, but didn’t bother to correct him.

“Nice to meet you, David,” she said politely.

“Might I offer you a complimentary flan to go?”

“That’s very sweet of you, but no thank you. My mother-in-law makes the best flan, and I can’t go cheating on her,” Beth said lightly, a sweet smile plastered on her face. In all actuality a flan sounded delicious, but she had a bag full of breast milk and just wanted to get fuck out before her postpartum body decided to embarrass her further.

“It was very nice to meet you, ma’am,” David said enthusiastically, “And Mr. Ramirez, I hope you think about my proposal?” His voice now held a nervous edge to it, and he looked at Rio hopefully.

“I will,” Rio replied casually, which Beth knew really meant _no way in hell_.

They walked out of the restaurant hand in hand. Beth looked at her husband questioningly. “What proposal?”

“Wants me to invest in the restaurant,” Rio said with a roll of his eyes.

“What’s wrong with it?” Beth teased, already knowing the answer.

“The food sucks, mami. I can’t believe your sister loves this place,” Rio replied, taking her waist as they reached her car.

“The half priced lunchtime margaritas,” Beth quipped as she leaned up to peck him on the lips. “Thanks for coming here so quick.”

“Course. Can’t let my girls suffer,” he said with a pointed look at her full chest. “You goin’ to my mom’s?”

“Yep, her favorite soap is on soon. You know how it takes her full attention,” she laughed.

“Oh, yeah? It ain’t cuz you love that _novela_ too?” Rio asked with an annoying, knowing look.

“I’m improving my Spanish,” Beth insisted, “I don’t want you and Cami to talk shit about me without understanding it.”

“Sure, not because of that _pendejo_ you and my ma swoon over?”

Beth gasped, pretending to be offended. So what if the hero of the daytime soap opera just so happened to be gorgeous? It was pure coincidence. “We do not _swoon_ ,” she insisted.

“Right,” Rio replied, nodding in faux-seriousness.

She leaned up, letting him pull her into a proper kiss. He licked lightly into her mouth, and she shuddered.

“Get back to work, mister,” Beth said, pulling away and poking him in the chest.

“Yes ma’am,” he said dutifully, holding open her car door, smacking her ass as she climbed in. “I’ll come by later,” he promised.

Beth peeled out of the parking lot. It was almost 1 o’clock, and she didn’t want to miss a moment of her favorite show.

xxx

A gasp escaped both women’s lips; Beth’s hand flew to her heart.

“Oh, Gustavo,” Carmen, Rio’s mother, breathed. Beth was equally entranced. The gorgeous hero of the show had just confessed his love for the equally gorgeous heroine, and swept her into a passionate, close-up kiss. As the heroine swayed in her lover’s arms, blood began to trickle from her mouth, and she began to cry.

_“Mi amor, estas sangrando!”_

_“Lo siento, mi alma. Pero estoy mueriendo…”_

“No!” Beth shrieked, clutching a throw pillow to her chest. Carmen looked just as devastated. Cami cooed from her place on the baby blanket.

They watched with wide eyes as the heroine promptly died in Gustavo’s arms, the screen going black as the hero’s cries poured from the television. The preview for next week’s episode showed Gustavo desperately trying to revive Maria, and then visiting an old witch’s house to offer his soul for hers.

Carmen sighed, a tear trickling down her face. “I cannot believe it,” the older woman said sadly.

“It’s not fair,” Beth agreed, stabbing the last piece of flan on her plate and shoving it into her mouth. Carmen had made the dessert the day before, expecting Beth to come visit. The deliciousness of the flan helped soothe some of Beth’s hurt feelings. “But I bet they’ll bring her back!”

Carmen nodded, turning her attention to the baby attempting to roll around on the blanket in front of them. Cami hadn’t managed to roll over yet, but that damn well didn’t stop her from trying. She had a corner of her pink blanket stuffed in her mouth, and Beth pulled out her phone, unable to resist taking a picture of the adorable sight.

“How was she?” Beth asked, nodding toward Cami.

“She’s an angel,” Carmen gushed, “She only cried once when she was hungry.”

“That’s my good girl,” Beth cooed at Cami, settling down on her knees next to the baby and softly rubbing her tummy.

“Christopher was a terrible baby,” Carmen said with a roll of her eyes, “He cried morning til night the first three months. The only way to calm him down was to take him on a drive. He wouldn’t even let his father hold him. Just me.”

“No wonder you waited so long in between children,” Beth teased.

Carmen nodded, “It took me nearly ten years to even think about having another! I had Teresa when I was your age,”

“And was she a good baby?” Beth asked.

“Terrible. Just like her brother. But I think it was karma for Christopher, he had to help with his sister when their father went to prison.”

Beth nodded quietly, keeping her gaze on Cami. Rio and his mother were both tight lipped about the former Mr. Ramirez, and although she was curious, she didn’t want to pry into such a delicate subject. Rio had told her all those years ago that his father had died in prison shortly after Teresa was born.

“He would have liked you,” Carmen said suddenly. “Christopher’s dad. Everyone loved him, he was a good man.”

“I’m sorry,” Beth replied, dragging her eyes up to look at Carmen, who was staring off into space, a distant look in her dark orbs.

“It’s okay, _mija_. It was a long time ago,” Carmen said, coming back to reality with a small smile. “You live by the sword, you die by it.”

Beth gulped, turning her attention back to her daughter, who was currently drooling all over the pink blanket. Her hands and feet were so little, it still made Beth’s heart clench, and a feeling of protectiveness washed over her.

The two women chatted about lighter topics as Beth fed Cami her bottle. Carmen “ohh’d” and “ahhh’d” over the pictures of the new house, nodding approvingly at the photo of the giant kitchen.

“We’ll officially move in in the next few days and have a housewarming party when the weather gets warmer,” Beth said excitedly.

“Good,” Carmen replied, “That horrible loft is no place to raise a baby!”

It was no secret that Rio’s mother hated his apartment, it was written all over her face when she first walked in. “How do you get any privacy?” She’d exclaimed, before moving to pull Beth into a hug.

“Christopher loves it. I think he’s sad to see it go,” Beth said, bouncing Cami in her lap.

“I guess it is very _millennial_ of him.” Carmen huffed, and Beth just laughed.

As if summoned by a supernatural force, Rio came in through the back door, bringing with him a draft of cold air.

“Speak of the devil,” Beth grinned teasingly.

“Y’all talkin’ shit about me?” Rio asked knowingly, arching an eyebrow and kissing his mother’s cheek. He moved to Beth and kissed her cheek as well before stroking Cami’s head with his finger. “ _Hola querida,”_

“Your mom told me you were a horrible baby,” Beth said slyly.

“Teresa was worse,” Rio argued, sniffing around the kitchen, “Do I smell flan?”

Once Rio was sufficiently warmed up and satisfied from his snack, he took Cami from Beth, lightly bouncing her on his knee.

“Did Elizabeth show you pictures of the house?” he asked his mother.

“She did,” Carmen replied, pursing her lips, “And I said thank God you’re moving out of that apartment.”

“Damn, ma. That’s cold,” Rio said with a shake of his head, “Isn’t it, Camila?” he asked his daughter with a fake pout. Cami just shoved her fingers in her mouth in response.

A phone buzzed on the counter, surprisingly it was Carmen’s, and she snatched it up a little too quickly, her lips quirking into a smile as she read the message. Beth and Rio exchanged a quizzical look.

“Who’s textin’ you? You’re blushin’ like a school girl,” Rio asked lightly, but Beth could make out the serious undertone of his voice.

“None of your business, Christopher,” Carmen snapped at her son, and at Rio’s raised eyebrow her face softened, “Just a friend from Mexico,”

“Mhm. Just a friend, huh?” Rio teased.

“Aye, _mijo_ , you’re not too old for _la_ _chancla_ ,”

Rio barked out a laugh, and even Cami twisted her lips into a little smile. “I’d like to see you try, _abuelita_.”

The trio ended up staying for dinner, and they nearly waddled out the front door toward the car after Carmen insisted they eat seconds, then thirds of her famous _ropa vieja_.

Rio was slightly tense during the car ride home, and as Beth cleared her throat he finally cracked.

“She say anythin’ about this friend from Mexico?” Rio asked, glancing over at his wife questioningly.

“No, I’m just as surprised as you are,” Beth answered honestly, “She mentioned your dad, though,”

Rio tensed even further, his hand flexing on the steering wheel, eyes hardening.

“What did she say?”

Beth paused, assessing her husband’s handsome profile. He didn’t look upset, but his mouth pulled into a guarded line.

“Just that he would have liked me, and that everyone loved him,” Beth said carefully.

A ghost of a smile crossed Rio’s lips, “Yeah, he would’ve. And not everyone loved him,”

“What does that mean?” Beth asked, aware that she was prying, but she knew so little of Rio’s father, and it bothered her.

“Another time, mami,” he said casually, but his grip on the steering wheel was anything but casual.

Glancing back at a sleeping Cami in the backseat, Beth couldn’t help herself. “She said something else,” she blurted out, taking a deep breath before continuing, “Your mom said if you live by the sword you die by it,”

Rio didn’t say anything for several moments as they pulled into the garage of his apartment building. It would be one of the last time’s they parked here, Beth realized with a start, and she felt a little nostalgic. Shifting her gaze to Rio, she watched him cut the engine, and they sat in silence for a minute before he spoke.

“Are you askin’ if I’m gonna end up like my dad?”

“No,” Beth insisted, even though it was exactly what she was implying, “I just… are you safe? I know your line of work can be… dangerous.”

Her mind replayed the day from a year ago, when a man had barged into Rio’s office while she was seducing him, waving a gun in both their faces. She could tell from the look on Rio’s face he was remembering the same occasion.

“I’m safe, trust me,” he said, taking her hand in his, “And I won’t bring any of my shit home, to you or Cami.”

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she thought of Rio’s mother, raising him and a newborn alone, while trying to make ends meet. It made her heart lurch in her chest.

“I can’t do this without you,” Beth whispered into the darkness.

“You won’t have to,” Rio insisted, leaning over and taking her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I’m safe, we’re safe.”

Beth’s lower lip wobbled, and she blinked back her tears. Carmen’s words had shaken her to the core. As if on cue, Cami began to cry, the coldness of the outside world seeping into the car.

“Promise me,” Beth whispered.

“I promise.”


	2. Like a Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Submitted by anonymous: "They're monsters"
> 
> Submitted by anonymous: "How is my wife more badass than me?!" 
> 
> Submitted by briosgina: "How drunk was I?"
> 
> Submitted by sothischickshe: "I'd kill for a coffee.... literally."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so overwhelmed by all the love for Part 2! Thank you <3

The doorbell rang again, and Beth nearly groaned. Cami had just gone down for a nap after throwing a hissy fit. It had taken nearly an hour of coaxing and singing to get the baby to settle down. Of course now the welcoming caravan had decided to show up at her front door. She quickly glanced down at Cami, holding her breath, the little girl stirred, eyes cracking open, and Beth sent up a silent prayer to the heavens. Thankfully someone up there was listening, and Cami fell back asleep.

She quietly ran down the stairs, baby monitor in hand, just in time to see Rio fling it open… and the shocked look on her new neighbor’s faces as they saw him standing there. He was all hard lines, black t-shirt, tight jeans and tattoos, a stark contrast to the lily-white neighborhood they’d moved into.

“Uh, hi. I’m Karen,” said the boldest one of the group, holding out a tinfoil wrapped casserole dish. “We’re here to welcome the new neighbors… are they home?”

Beth bit back a moan; _of course_ her name was Karen. Rio was about to have a field day with these people.

“Oh yes, the lady of the house will be with you right away,” Rio said, nodding with faux seriousness. “Please, let me take your…” he motioned at the dish in her hands.

“Shepherd’s pie. An old family recipe,” the woman said, obviously pleased with herself.

“How thoughtful. I hope it’s gluten free, though?” Rio asked, and she could already tell his eyebrows were knitted together.

“Oh!” Karen exclaimed, obviously embarrassed, “It’s not, I’m so sorry-”

“Unfortunately my mistress is allergic to gluten. As is twenty percent of all Americans, according to Fox News,” Rio said condescendingly. Beth couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Seriously? He had really just pulled a random number out of his ass.

Karen cleared her throat, “I must have missed that segment…”

“Ah, well, there’s nothin’ to be worried about. I’m sure we could find a new home for your lasagna.”

“Actually I said _Shepherd’s pie-”_

Beth couldn’t take anymore. She descended the rest of the steps, coming into the foyer behind her husband and clearing her throat.

“Hello, I’m Beth,” she interrupted, discreetly elbowing Rio in the side, which made his smile grow even wider. “It’s very nice to meet you,”

Karen seemed relieved, as did her small group of followers. All had a fake smile plastered on their Botox-laden faces, and they all were holding an assortment of dishes.

“We just came over to say welcome to the neighborhood, Beth,” Karen said. “I’m very sorry, I didn’t know you were gluten free…”

Beth shook her head. “I’m not. My husband here just likes to play some practical jokes. Don’t you, honey?”

“Guess I’m in the doghouse tonight,” Rio chirped. And Beth had to admit she enjoyed the way the neighbor’s facial expressions twisted into something resembling shock and embarrassment.

Karen’s cheeks reddened almost instantly, and she cleared her throat again, pushing the bangs out of her face.

“My apologies… I didn’t know this was your husband. You’re a very… unconventional couple…”

“We get that a lot,” Rio chimed in, and Beth could just _throttle_ him. “She actually hated me at first, but I grew on her, ‘specially when I did that thing with my-”

“Anyway!” Beth exclaimed clapping her hands together. “It is _so_ nice to meet you all. I’d invite you in but our daughter is asleep upstairs and we don’t want to wake her. We’ll take your very generous dishes.”

After shoving most of the dishes in Rio’s hands Beth closed the door a little too quickly, whirling on her husband, who looked like the cat that caught the canary.

“ **They’re monsters,”** he said with a delighted grin. “This is gonna be fun.”

“No,” Beth sternly pointed her finger at him. “So stop thinking whatever it is you’re thinking.”

“Only thing I’m thinkin’ about is trashin’ this nasty ass, unseasoned food and fucking you over the kitchen table,” he said casually.

_Oh_.

Thrown off her guard, Beth flushed, the fire ignited in her belly transforming.

“I think that can be arranged,” she said with a sly smile, “Go to the kitchen and take off your pants. Your mistress commands it.”

xxx

“’Ey now, mami. Don’t start cryin’ on us now,”

“I’m not-” Beth sniffled “ _crying_.” She hurriedly wiped at her wet eyes and looked away toward the looming skyscraper. She pulled at the hem of her new skirt – she hadn’t lost all the baby weight yet and had to buy a bigger size for her first day back at the office, not to mention a few new tops, her pre-baby shirts nearly burst at the seams now. Camila was a blessing, but the new chub around her stomach was not.

“You don’t have to go back, you know,” Rio said, this time softer.

“Yes, I do. I’m not going to be that woman who is forced to choose between her career and child. I can do both.” Beth insisted.

Rio raised his hands in surrender. “I ain’t sayin’ that. You haven’t been happy at that job for years. No one’s gonna judge you if you quit.”

“Well _I_ know that, but _they_ don’t. They’re gonna think I’m choosing to be a housewife. They even took bets when I got pregnant on whether or not I’d come back!” Beth let out a sigh, fiddling again with the edge of her skirt, focusing her attention on the bright red polish on her nails.

“Fuck those guys,” Rio huffed, “Who gives a shit what they think?”

Beth chose to ignore her husband, instead peering into the backseat, where Cami rested happily in her car seat. It was a mistake, because once noticing she had her mother’s attention, Cami broke into a huge, toothless smile.

A fresh wave of tears assaulted her already red eyes, and Beth snapped her head forward.

“Remember to tell your mom her sleep schedule,” Beth said, trying to sound firm, but failing miserably.

“I know,” Rio replied patiently. “It’s gonna be fine, we’ll be here to pick you up at five thirty, right _princesa?_ ” He turned back to their daughter, who made a cooing noise of affirmation.

“I’ll see you then,” Beth cleared her throat, swiping at her eyes one last time and adjusting her button-up. She gave Rio a quick kiss before climbing out of the car and opening the backdoor, pressing a similar kiss to Cami’s head. “Bye my love.” As if sensing her mother was going to leave, Cami let out a loud wail that nearly broke Beth’s heart in two.

She steeled her nerves and straightened up, shutting the door and striding to her office building, eyes forward. If she looked back she might not make it to the front door.

Surprisingly, she was greeted with hoots and hollers as she made her way into the office for the first time in three months.

“You owe me one hundred bucks!” Ben, one of the marketing managers called toward his buddy.

She couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction as her coworkers all gaped at her. They truly weren’t expecting her to come back. Kurt, her “best friend”, looked devastated that she’d returned. Good, he was still afraid of her. Rio’s little “visit” had certainly paid off in that department.

Mitchell, her boss, on the other hand, looked pleased at her decision to return.

“Marks,” he greeted, coming up to shake her hand, “Good to have you back.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said with a faux smile, “Happy to be back.”

It was an outright lie, but she kept up her façade through the various meetings and briefings of the morning. It wasn’t until lunch, when she had some time to herself, that she snuck off to the bathroom and cried.

Dialing Carmen’s number with shaky fingers, she waited for the FaceTime call to connect. It took a few rings, but eventually her mother-in-law’s face flashed on the screen.

“How is your first day back at work, _mija_?” Carmen asked enthusiastically. Beth was a bit surprised that Rio’s mother hadn’t disapproved her going back to work, instead she had understood, telling her that it was good for a woman to have her own money.

“It’s okay, missing my little girl, though,” Beth said. Thankfully Carmen immediately got the hint and flipped the camera around so it was facing Cami, who was in her baby bouncer, enthralled by the little chimes attached above her. Her daughter made grabby hands, trying to lift her little butt out of the seat. Beth bit her lip.

“She went down for a nap at ten, just like you said,” Carmen said.

“That’s good,” Beth said, “How’s my good girl doing?” She cooed through the phone at Cami, who stopped her wiggling and moved her head around, looking for her mother.

“Christopher told me you were upset to leave her this morning,” Carmen said neutrally.

Of course Rio had to go blabbing to his mother. Beth rolled her eyes. For someone so secretive he sure had a big mouth.

“Yes, a little,” Beth replied, unable to tear her eyes away from the screen.

“There’s no shame in it, and it gets easier,” Carmen said.

“I know it’s just…” Beth trailed off, not ready to have this conversation again. “Listen, I have to get back. Thank you so much again for taking her.”

“Of course, any time,” Carmen replied warmly, flipping the camera back and waving goodbye. Beth ended the call with a sigh, pressing her head in her hands, and prayed Carmen was right, and that it would get easier.

xxx

A month later Beth had stopped crying in the bathroom on her lunch breaks, but leaving her daughter every morning was just as heartbreaking as it was the first day. Cami was already fourth months old and had grown so much. She was like a little roly-poly, giving her parents near heart attacks when she kept trying to roll off the couch and bed.

She confidently walked toward Mitchell’s office, rehearsing her speech in her head as she lightly tapped on the door. When he beckoned her to come in she gave him her sweetest smile before taking a seat across from him.

“How can I help you, Beth?” he asked, continuing to type away on his laptop.

“Well sir, my daughter is four months old now, and leaving her every morning has been very difficult,” Beth paused, waiting for him to react, but he didn’t, just waved his hand for her to continue. She pushed on. “ Which is why I was hoping to work from home a few days out of the week, and come in on Wednesdays for our department meeting, of course.”

She waited with baited breath as Mitchell paused his typing, dragging his eyes over to finally look at her. Beth sat up straighter, raising her chin slightly and meeting his gaze head on.

“I can’t make exceptions for you just because you have a child,” Mitchell explained patiently, “It would be unfair to the others if I give you work from home benefits.”

“With all due respect sir, have any of them asked?” Beth replied.

Mitchell cleared his throat, “No, but they might start asking if I let you.”

“I would just like you to think about it, Mitchell,” Beth said, hoping the use of his first name would help ease the tension. “I’ve been a loyal, hardworking employee since the day I started, and working from home wouldn’t change that.” She mentally patted herself on the back for not stuttering, and keeping her voice firm in the face of opposition.

Her boss leaned forward, his mouth set in a hard line. “I’ve already made my decision, Beth. There will be no working from home, no exceptions.”

Beth couldn’t help the look of indignation that passed her face.

“But sir-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Marks. You chose to have a kid. You _modern_ women think you can have it all, but you can’t.”

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Beth could feel her cheeks burn, and she saw red.

“Actually, I can have it all,” she snapped, standing up, “I’ll just have to find a company that actually respects and values their female employees. I’ll give HR my resignation on my way out and schedule an exit interview. I’m sure they will be interested in all the documentation I’ve kept of my experience working in this department.”

Mitchell’s mouth open and closed, gaping like a fish out of water, and Beth committed that image to memory before striding out, her heels clicking forcefully against the hardwood.

Every head swiveled toward her as she began collecting her personal items. She gathered as much as she could in her mama bag, the _click_ of her office door reverberating off the walls of the silent office as she closed it for the last time.

“It’s been a pleasure working with all of you,” she announced, and then paused, “Except you, Kurt.” Kurt gulped, turning away in shame. Mitchell had come out of his office to stare at her, face growing redder by the moment, so Beth added, “Mitchell, expect a call from HR and Legal very soon.”

With that being said she walked out with all the confidence she could muster, leaving hanging jaws in her wake.

xxx

“God _damn_. **How is my wife more badass than me?** Can you believe it, Cami?” Rio declared to the little girl in his lap, who babbled incoherently back at him. Rio nodded at her with a very serious expression on his face, as if understanding her gibberish, “You’re right, _querida_ , women stay superior.”

“Oh my God,” Beth groaned, pressing her wine glass to her forehead. “I can’t believe I did that,”

All the internal righteous fire had extinguished as soon as she started driving away. The first rational thought in her head was “Oh God, what have I done?” The last time she’d had a public outburst like that had been when she fought Courtney in the middle of dance practice senior year.

“You did the right thing, mami,” Rio assured her.

“I told him to expect a call from _legal_. Why did I say that?” Beth moaned, taking a generous sip of the red wine in her glass.

Rio chuckled, adjusting Cami on his knee. “Cuz you told HR all the misogynist bullshit there. I bet they lawyerin’ up as we speak.”

Beth scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious, mama. You know how many companies are goin’ down for discrimination and whatnot? Shit,” he shook his head in amusement, “we could sue ‘em for a few mil, bet they’d settle outta court.”

Beth stared at her husband. “You wanna sue them?”

Rio shrugged. “If you want.”

“I just want to be done with it all,” Beth sighed.

He nodded, shifting his attention to Cami when she started letting out breathy little whines, a sign that a bigger tantrum was on the horizon.

“Aw, what’s this now _mi amor_? You gettin’ hungry? Your ma gets angry when she’s hungry, too,” Rio teased lightly, kissing Cami’s head. He stood easily, rocking Cami back and forth. Beth watched him move to the kitchen, taking a pre-made bottle from the fridge. Their daughter sucked enthusiastically on her dinner, and Beth couldn’t help the smile that graced her face at the sight of Rio feeding her.

When Cami had gotten her fill she lolled lazily against Rio’s shoulder, drool dribbling from her pink lips. As expected, she was asleep within minutes.

Even after the past four months Beth couldn’t get over how precious her baby girl was. Seeing Rio with her… it sometimes still felt like a dream.

Once Cami was settled in the crib upstairs, Rio joined her with his own glass of wine. She watched as he took an experimental sip, his lips curling with distaste.

“One of the neighbors give us this shit?” he asked.

“Yeah, it’s not the best,” Beth replied with a laugh. She was already two glasses in, and thankfully could no longer taste the sour flavor.

“Bein’ rich can’t buy taste. Maybe I’ll tell Karen that next time I see her,” Rio smirked, a devious glint in his eye.

Beth was buzzed enough to laugh, smacking her husband’s arm. He pouted, rubbing his “wound” as if she’d truly hurt him.

“No stirring up crap with the neighbors. I mean it,” she scolded.

“She started it,” Rio grumbled, “Thinkin’ I was the help or some other racist bullshit,”

“You certainly… _helped_ me in the kitchen that day,” Beth purred, the wine making her bold. It also didn’t help that when he went into daddy mode she wanted to launch herself at him.

“Oh yeah?” Rio grinned, obviously enjoying the shift in conversation. He set his wine glass down on the table, “You need help right now?”

“As a matter of fact I do, _daddy_ ,” Beth replied, leaning back into the couch cushions and uncrossing her legs.

That was all it took for Rio to sink down to the floor and put his mouth to better use.

xxx

The light pouring through the bedroom window was too much for Beth, and she buried her face further into the pillow. She could have sworn they’d drawn the blinds the night before.

The headache hit her suddenly, a dull throb pulsing throughout her body. As if on cue a piercing cry sounded through the baby monitor, enhancing the pounding in her head.

She blindly flung hear arm out, smacking Rio in the face. Her husband was currently face down in the mattress, his legs splayed out taking up most of the bed.

“Can you go get her?” she mumbled. “I’m in pain,”

Rio groaned, turning over on his back.

“Maybe she’ll cry herself out,” he offered, and Beth scoffed.

“I’m sorry, have you met our daughter? That’s impossible,”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rio grunted, sitting up and rubbing his bleary eyes.

Beth whimpered in pain, trying to remember how much they’d drank the night before. She remembered having a couple glasses of wine before Rio went to town between her legs, then they broke out the bourbon… and polished off the entire bottle.

“God, **how drunk was I**?” Beth moaned.

“Fairly fucked up,” Rio replied, pulling on a pair of jeans as Cami’s cries got louder. “Don’t take much anymore, either, considerin’ you were sober for almost a year.”

“I’m never drinking again,” she murmured into the pillow, feeling sorry for herself. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been hungover, but she knew that the promise of _I’m never drinking again_ would surely be broken within the next few days.

Rio chuckled, obviously amused by her suffering. He leaned down, kissing her hair softly. She shot him a grateful look as he went to take care of Cami.

When he returned, this time with Cami nestled against his chest; she was still in the same position.

“ **I’d kill for a coffee… literally** ,” Beth said, cracking one eye open and looking hopefully at her husband, who wasn’t regarding her with much sympathy.

“And that, Cami, is why we say no to drugs and alcohol,” he explained patiently. Cami gave him a toothless grin in return.

He made her a coffee anyway, as well as a homemade bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, extra greasy. He didn’t even judge her when she ate her breakfast in four giant bites.

If that wasn’t true love, Beth wasn’t sure what was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The petty king popped out this chapter... Karen doesn't stand a chance. As always submit a suggestion or drabble prompt on my tumblr - wakeupflawless.


	3. Take the Gun, Count to Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cami says her first word. Beth protects her daughter. Ruby makes an appearance!

“Exhale as we return to the child’s pose. While we’re here for the next twenty seconds, let’s set one attainable goal for the upcoming week. For me, I’m going to run an extra mile each morning.” 

Beth nearly scoffed and tilted her head toward Carmen. The older woman rolled her eyes and shot her a knowing smile. 

The goal for Beth this coming week was maybe getting Cami to take a few extra bites of applesauce. And she was pretty sure that was not at all attainable. 

The yoga instructor, a petite woman in her early twenties (Beth keeps forgetting her name - Kayleigh, McKayleigh??) ended the class with a sweeping upward stretch. 

“What’s your goal?” Beth asked her mother-in-law as they gathered up their respective yoga mats. 

Carmen snorted. “Lecture Teresa into coming home for the holidays.” 

“Right!” Beth laughed. “Which boyfriend’s house does she want to go to this time?” 

“Lord only knows,” Carmen shook her head. “I need to send my son down to Princeton to drag her back up here.” 

“Not sure if any of those boys would have all their bones intact if you sent him.” 

“Probably not.” 

Said son was waiting for them outside the yoga studio, sitting in the driver’s seat of his G Wagon. Beth and Carmen did the song and dance about who would sit shotgun, and as usual Carmen insisted on sitting in the back with Cami. 

Beth slid into the leather seat, leaning over to lightly kiss Rio. Carmen immediately started cooing at Cami, who at one year old was trying her damndest to say something back, but just couldn’t seem to form the words.

“How was yoga?” Rio asked, peeling away from the curb and onto the highway. 

“The little  _ gringa _ asked us to set a goal,” Carmen exclaimed, “Mine is to get Teresa home for at least Thanksgiving.” 

Rio scoffed at the mention of his rebellious little sister. They’d mended their relationship years ago, but they also spent years not speaking, and not for Rio’s lack of trying. It was still a sore subject for him - sending his mother and sister to Mexico after a drive-by shooting wrecked their family home and almost killed Teresa. But now both women were back stateside, with Teresa in her Junior year at Princeton University in New Jersey. She’d easily gotten accepted into the Ivy League school due to her perfect grades, “interesting” life story and incredible soccer skills. The soccer coach had given her a starting position freshman year, and Beth knew Rio couldn’t have been prouder. They’d been able to make a few games as a family, but with Cami it was hard to travel and sit in the cold bleachers. 

“She’s probably gonna spend it with some white boy,” Rio scowled. 

Beth rolled her eyes. As if he wasn’t married to a white girl. 

“She’s young and having fun,” Beth said lightly, “It’s what girls do in college.” 

“Nah, she needs to focus on school and soccer. Not some preppy douchebags.” Rio replied, much to his mother’s chagrin.

“ _ Mijo _ , no bad language around the baby!” Carmen gasped. 

“C’mon, ma. Her first word is probably gonna be  _ cabron _ because of you.” 

“ _ Mira, cabron-” _

“Da!” 

The car went silent. Beth twisted in her seat in shock, staring wide eyed at Cami, who stared right back with a huge grin. Carmen looked like something out of a cartoon, eyes huge and draw dropped. 

“Did… she just…” Beth started. 

“ _ Da!” _

“I think she’s saying ‘Dad’!” Beth shrieked, turning to Rio who was having a hard time focusing on the road as he kept glancing in his rearview mirror at Cami. 

“Cami, say it again,” Rio commanded, as if he was ordering about one of his men. Beth rolled her eyes. 

Cami obliged. “Da!” 

Carmen began shrieking, clapping her hands together excitedly. Cami seemed mighty pleased by the cheers coming from her family, giggling hysterically and bouncing up and down in the car seat. 

“Da, da, da.” she cried happily. 

Beth whipped out her phone and began recording, tears pooling in her eyes. Some women might be jealous that their baby’s first word was “Dad” and not “Mom” (Like Ruby, who was livid when Sara would only call for Stan for the longest time) but Beth was filled with joy. She knew Rio had been internally struggling about his capability as a father since the day she told him they were having a baby. He’d barely known his own father, Mr. Ramirez Sr had died in prison, leaving his wife with a young son and newborn baby. 

But now Beth knew he must feel validated. And she couldn’t have been happier. 

Rio spent the rest of the night with a huge smile on his face, rocking Cami in his arms as she shrieked glee. 

A week later Cami screamed “Ma!” in the middle of chewing her applesauce, sending bits of orange chunks all over her high chair. Beth couldn’t remember a time she’d been happier. 

xxx 

After throwing a complete hissy fit in the mall, Cami was now fast asleep in her stroller as Beth pushed her toward the car (a Mercedes GLC SUV, courtesy of Rio). She managed to balance shopping bags, her giant mama purse and pushing Cami as she made her way through the empty parking garage. 

The original plan had been simple - buy some new clothes and essentials from the Nordstrom baby aisle for Cami, then make a quick stop at Baby’s R Us for more baby food… But then Beth got distracted in the shoe department at Nordstrom. And then again as they passed by the Prada store... Of course she bought everything on her list for Cami, but she left the mall with a few extra bags and a few extra charges on Rio’s black card. 

Beth carefully maneuvered her shopping bags into the trunk, careful not to wake up the sleeping baby. She easily snapped the car seat out of the stroller and gently strapped it into the backseat. Cami didn’t even stir. 

She smiled to herself as she went to shut the door. She’d just tossed her bag into the passenger seat and was about to climb in when she heard footsteps coming from behind her. 

Tingles shut up her spine and she whirled around, coming face to face with a strange, thin man, who stood about 10 feet away from her. 

The man twitched, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Beth could see his eyes were bloodshot. 

She cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice steady. “Can I help you?” 

The stranger took a step forward, causing Beth to take a step away, her back lower back hitting the bottom ledge of the car. 

“My daughter is in the backseat,” she said nervously, “I’ve got some cash but that’s it.” 

“Get it.” The man said, his voice scratchy, as if he hadn’t taken a sip of water in days. 

Beth’s eyes slide over his form, noticing how his hand seemed to be clenched around something in his pocket. She’d been around Rio’s boys enough to know the outline of a gun. Raising her hands innocently, she tried to placate the man.

“Of course. No need for anyone to get hurt, okay?” she said, using her best soothing mother voice. 

“I said get the money, bitch!”

This time the man whipped out the gun, pointing it right at her chest. His finger twitched against the trigger, and Beth flinched. 

_ Never put your finger on the trigger unless you’re one hundred percent gonna shoot. _

It was what Rio had told her when they went to the shooting range together for the first time. Ever since that fateful night at the lake over ten years ago Beth had detested guns, wanted nothing to do with them. But Rio had insisted she learn to use one. Just in case. He’d bought her two - a pearl glock that was kept locked away in their bedroom closet, and a small Smith & Wesson pistol, which was stored in her glove compartment… 

“Okay.” Beth said, voice steady, hands still raised in the air. She slid into the driver’s seat, keeping a side-eye on the man. 

He was obviously cracked out, that much was obvious. His hands shook and his neck twitched. The sleeves on his baggy sweater had fallen back, revealing angry red tracks on his forearms. 

Beth was now faced with a choice. Give him her wallet and risk him wanting more - maybe even accidentally shooting toward her or the car, or grab her gun from the glove compartment and shoot first. From the way his finger twitched Beth figured he would have no problem pulling the trigger, and with Cami sleeping peacefully in the backseat… 

Her maternal instincts kicked in full force, and she made a show of rummaging through her bag, while sneaking her arm around into the glove compartment. “It’s in here somewhere… give me a moment, please.” 

The man kept tearing his eyes away to look around nervously, as if someone was going to pop up in the empty garage. It was then that Beth snatched the gun and whirled around, still in a sitting position in the driver’s seat, and fired twice. 

The first bullet grazed his arm, the second hit him square in the chest. 

He fell backward with a gurgled cry, his gun clattering to the ground. 

Beth was frozen in place, finger still on the trigger as she watched his chest slowly rise and fall. It was only Cami’s piercing cry that pulled her back to the present. She clicked on the safety, shoving the pistol into the back of her jeans and rushed to open the back door of the car.

Cami sat snugly in her carseat, lower lip wobbling, clearly displeased that her nap was interrupted by the gunshots. Beth soothed her, stroking a shaky hand through her thick, black hair. 

Beth shot a look toward the robber. His breathing had stopped entirely. It was then Beth began to panic. 

Should she call the police? It was self defense… but would they see it that way? Would getting the police involved put her husband in jeopardy? 

Beth reached for her phone, thankful that the lock screen recognized her face ID, since she doubted she’d be able to punch in the code correctly. 

Rio’s contact was the first in her favorites, and she tapped the screen, shakily bringing the phone to her ear. 

“Yo, mami. Got some interestin’ alerts from my credit card company…” 

Beth laughed nervously. “Rio… you need to come here. Right now.” 

His tone turned somber. “What happened?” 

“I killed someone.” 

Twenty minutes later Rio pulled into the parking garage, flanked by two massive SUVS. It had been the longest twenty minutes of her life as she sat shaking in her car, eyes never leaving the lifeless figure on the ground. 

Rio jumped out of his car and opened her door, pulling her out of the drivers seat and into his chest. 

He quickly scanned her over, pressing a quick kiss to her head before yanking open the back door to check on Cami. She’d been eerily silent while they waited for her dad to show up, as if she knew something terrible had just happened. Once her huge brown eyes met the identical pair that belonged to her father, she finally started to whimper. 

Rio scooped her up, his huge hand covering the expanse of her small back as she cried into his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, murmuring to her in a mixture of English and Spanish. 

Meanwhile his boys were assessing the damage, Mick directing them around the body. Beth watched with morbid interest. 

“Hey,” Rio came up to her, wrapping his free arm around her waist, “they’ll take care of this. Let’s go home.” 

“What are you guy’s gonna do with the body?” Beth couldn’t help but ask. 

Rio shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Beth sighed. Sometimes she forgot just how many bodies her husband had buried… 

“But what if there are cameras? What if someone sees?” 

“They’ll take care of it, mami. You did good, okay?” Rio kissed the side of her head, lightly nudging her to get in the passenger seat while he buckled Cami into the carseat. 

Nobody spoke for more than half the drive, until Beth broke the silence.

“I don’t feel bad.” 

It was a declaration. Her voice was steady, unwavering. She knew if this situation were to happen one hundred times over she’d choose to pull the trigger one hundred times. If taking a life meant protecting Cami she wouldn’t hesitate. She hadn’t even shed a tear. 

Rio nodded. “That’s good.” 

“Now I understand. When you shot that guy in your office two years ago. I was so scared. But now I get it. I’ll do anything to protect Cami. And you.” 

Beth turned to him, taking in his sharp side profile in the dim lighting of the SUV. His face remained neutral, yet his lips betrayed him, quirking up ever so slightly. 

“Cami couldn’t have gotten a better mama,” His eyes flitted to hers for a split second before focusing back on the road, “And I couldn’t have gotten a better woman.” 

Rio had warned her about the nightmares. The nightmares one could have after committing a murder. He held her tighter than usual that night as they lay in bed. Beth was surprised by how easily she fell asleep, she was absolutely exhausted.

Three hours later she woke up drenched in sweat, nearly jumping out of bed. The nightmare wasn’t about her putting a bullet in the guy - no - it was about the guy shooting into the car. At Cami. It’s what could have happened if she hadn’t pulled the trigger. 

Rio pulled her to him, using his thumbs to swipe at the moisture gathering underneath her eyes. 

“He shot her,” Beth choked.

“It was just a dream,” Rio replied soothingly, “Cami is fine. Sound asleep.”

“I need to see her.” 

Beth spent the remainder of the night in Cami’s nursery, curled up in the big armchair next to her crib, her eyes drifting shut and then snapping open every few minutes. 

Rio was right beside her on the small loveseat, his long limbs awkwardly hanging off the side of the couch. 

It was a long night. And when Cami finally began to cry for a bottle Beth nearly leapt out of her chair, rocking and shushing the baby long after she’d fallen back asleep. 

Rio watched through hooded eyes, blinking sleepily. He didn’t try to coax her back to bed. Everyone dealt with their first kill differently. If Beth wanted to keep Cami close then so be it. Better than drinking herself into a stupor like he’d seen many do. 

When the early morning sun began to stream through the upstairs windows Beth finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep, having moved to the loveseat for more space. 

Rio texted his boys, clearing his schedule as best he could in order to stay at home with his girls. 

It took several weeks, but Beth finally began to sleep through the night again. There were moments where she’d wake up in a panic, but Rio was there to murmur reassuring words in her ear, hold her a little tighter. 

“I love you,” Beth said one night as she watched Rio strip down to his boxers.

Rio smirked, settling in on the bed next to her. 

“Oh yeah? What do you love about me?” 

Beth playfully smacked his arm. “Don’t fish for compliments.” 

He pouted, snaking a hand around her hip and pulling her closer. She couldn’t help but place her hand on his chest, right over his heart, where their daughter’s name was permanently inked into his skin. 

“I love you too, mami. Since the day I met you.” 

Beth flushed. “You’re just trying to get into my pants.” 

“Your panties,” he corrected, glancing down between them, “you ain’t wearin’ any pants.” 

“Shut up.” 

He opened his mouth to reply, but Beth beat him to the punch, pressing her lips to his and bucking against his hips with her own. He wasted no time discarding said panties and sliding down the bed. 

xxx 

Beth was exhausted. No, not just exhausted. Absolutely drained. Rio had been insanely busy the last few weeks. He’d been having problems on the legit side of the business. One of his bar’s liquor costs had skyrocketed, due to the bartenders over-pouring every customer (so he believed.) There had also been fights breaking out damn near every night due to drunk patrons. He’d spent every night there keeping an eye on things - observing, usually not returning home until three in the morning.

Of course it was during this time that Cami developed a cold, sniffling and sneezing her little, pink nose off. The poor girl could barely sleep, unable to breathe properly through her nose. Seeing her daughter in such distress broke Beth’s heart. It was only a cold, but it seemed like it would never go away. The doctor recommended saline nose drops and plenty of fluids, but poor Cami just couldn’t shake the cold. 

Beth’s last nerves were absolutely frayed, and when Rio came home one night at four in the morning she let him have it. 

He let her rant and rave, shove at his chest a little. 

“You good?” he asked, once she was out of steam.

“No!” she spat back.

Then she burst into tears, collapsing against him. 

He spent the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon taking care of Cami, letting Beth sleep. When she woke up at three in the afternoon she actually felt well-rested for the first time in weeks. 

Rio and Cami were in the living room, both seemed entranced by  _ Paw Patrol _ . Beth approached quietly, feeling a bit sheepish for the way she’d reacted earlier.

Without saying anything she snuggled up next to Rio, putting her head on his shoulder. His big hand immediately went to her hair, lightly stroking the soft strands. 

“Sorry for yelling at you,” she mumbled. 

“I deserved it,” he said simply. 

And that was the extent of that conversation. 

The next morning, a Sunday, Beth woke up in much better spirits. Rio wasn’t in bed beside her, but his side was still warm. She grabbed his pillow, snuggling into it and inhaling. 

The smell of coffee lured her out of bed. Rio was in the kitchen with Cami, encouraging her to take a few more bites of applesauce. Upon seeing her mother, Cami knocked the spoon away and cooed delightedly. 

“Ma!” 

“Hi, sweetie,” Beth sang, kissing her head, then leaning over to kiss her husband. 

“She’s so stubborn,” Rio scowled, attempting to maneuver the spoon into Cami’s mouth, “Like her mama.” 

Beth barked out a laugh, pouring herself a cup of coffee. 

“Pretty sure that’s from her daddy,” 

“C’mere.”

Rio abandoned his applesauce efforts in order to wrap his arms around her waist, one hand snaking down to squeeze her ass. He buried his face in her neck, lightly kissing and sucking at the skin. 

“So I was thinking,” he murmured into her neck.

“That’s never good,” Beth sighed, tilting her head to the side.

“Very funny. I was thinkin’ you should call up your friend Ruby and have a day to yourselves.”

Beth startled, pulling away. 

“Huh?” 

Rio tapped her nose lightly. 

“I don’t know, go get your nails painted or whatever. Get a massage. You need a break, mami.” 

Beth laughed, turning away to grab her cup of coffee. She took a long sip, contemplating his words. 

“And what about our pride and joy?” she motioned to Cami, who had successfully smeared applesauce all over her face and hair. 

“Sleepover at grandma’s,” Rio smirked. 

Beth began to panic. “Are you sure? She’s not completely over her cold. I don’t want to inconvenience your mom…” 

Rio waved his hand. “She’s happy to do it. Especially after I told her how hard the last few weeks have been on you.” 

Beth gaped, smacking at his arm. “You can’t tell her that!” 

Rio rolled his eyes. “I know. She yelled at me for ten fuckin’ minutes. Tellin’ me to shape up or you’d leave my sorry ass.”

Beth giggled. It sounded like something Carmen would say. 

“So you’re saying I have the day off?” She edged lightly, poking at his chest. 

“Yep. Go do whatever girls do,” he waved his hand.

Beth rolled her eyes. He was just such a  _ guy  _ sometimes. She was about to retort that she might end up on  _ Girls Gone Wild  _ when he reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. He peeled off a stack of hundred dollars bills, motioning for her to take them. 

“Think this is enough?” 

Beth flipped through the stack and counted a thousand dollars. 

“Really?” she scoffed, “You know a manicure is like, fifty bucks, right?” 

“Oh so you’re sayin’ you don’t want it?” Rio teased, taking a step forward and reaching for the cash.

Beth skirted away, hiding the money behind her back. “I didn’t say that!” 

Rio laughed and grabbed her hips, pulling her in for a deep kiss. 

“Go call your friend,” he commanded, landing a sharp smack to her ass, “and get out of this damn house.” 

xxx 

An hour later Beth’s feet were soaking in warm water while her back was massaged by a large leather salon chair. 

Ruby sat beside her, eyes closed with a small smile on her lips. 

“Thank God you called me,” Ruby sighed, “I was going crazy. The only word Sara can say now is ‘No’.” 

Beth laughed, turning to her best friend. “Cami said ‘Dad’ the other day, then ‘Ma’.” 

“I miss those days,” Ruby moaned, “She was such a cute baby. Now I wonder if we’re raising a mini terrorist.” 

The salon manager returned with two glasses of peach mimosas, which the ladies gratefully accepted. They chose the deluxe spa package - which included a manicure, hot stone pedicure and wax of choice. Ruby had gasped when Beth showed her the stack of cash in the car.  _ Let’s fucking gooo!  _

Beth chose a deep red shade for both her toes and nails, while Ruby went with a princess pink. Beth even asked for extensions - something she rarely chose - as a treat for herself. Nothing too long, just a small tip on each nail in a coffin shape. 

Both women groaned as the nail tech working on their feet began a deep massage. Ruby worked mainly on her feet every day at the diner, and Beth was constantly running around trying to entertain Cami. 

“This is amazing,” Ruby said, sipping her drink, “I love your husband.” 

Beth laughed. “It’s my money, too. Technically. What’s his is mine!” 

“I can’t wait until Stan gets promoted to detective. Beat cops don’t make shit out in these streets.” Ruby groaned, from annoyance or from the way the nail tech rubbed her heel, Beth couldn’t tell. 

Beth forced a small smile on her face, and nodded. She’d offered once to help Ruby and Stan with money. Lord knows her and Rio now had enough of it, but Ruby very firmly refused, and she never brought it up again. 

But it was hard to see her best friend struggle financially. Ruby was too smart to be working as a waitress in a local diner. Beth had been there a few times with Cami for lunch, and watched as Ruby dealt with a number of rude customers. It had made her mad as a hornet, and she was about to get up and tell off a group of young guys when Ruby stopped her, shaking her head. Beth always made sure to leave a 200% tip. 

Ruby was stubborn, and proud. Beth had to admit that if she was in her best friend’s situation she would be the same way. 

“So when will he get promoted?” Beth asked instead, downing her mimosa. 

“Lord only knows. It could take two years or five. But the captain is a real asshole.” 

Beth nodded. It was awkward in a way, Ruby’s husband being in law enforcement when her own husband was involved in some very  _ unsavory  _ business practices. Beth also knew that the Detroit police captain was in Rio’s back pocket, but there were some things Ruby didn’t need to know. 

“I’m sure he’ll make detective soon. You always say he’s the most dedicated in the precinct.” Beth said encouragingly. 

“ _ Too  _ dedicated. He’s never home before midnight!” 

That sent the two women into a long discussion about how annoying it was that their husbands worked late, leaving them with the babies. 

It was nice to vent. Beth considered Rio’s mother as her own, but she also had to be careful about what she said about Carmen’s only son. With Ruby she could be as unfiltered as she wanted. 

When it was time for the waxes Ruby chose for a simple eyebrow clean up, while Beth opted for the Brazilian. She knew Rio liked it, not that he ever made his preference known. He’d go down on her no matter the state between her legs, even when Beth protested “ _ I haven’t shaved in weeks!”  _

The women left the salon giggling, slightly tipsy off the three mimosas they’d had. As mothers they barely got to drink, so their tolerance was not what it used to be. 

“I’m  _ starving _ ,” Beth groaned, rubbing her tummy. 

“Me toooo!” 

They quickly found a brunch spot down the road from where they’d parked, and once discovering the restaurant offered bottomless mimosas they were sold. 

“Keep ‘em coming,” Beth said to the server. 

Two hours later their bellies were full of food and champagne (minimal orange juice) and they stumbled out of the restaurant. 

“You can’t -  _ hiccup - _ drive home!” Beth cried, looking at Ruby in distress. 

“I can’t,” Ruby groaned.

“Hm,” Beth tapped her chin, “Let’s go shopping to sober up. We still have.. Uhh a lot of money left to blow.” 

Ruby grinned wickedly. 

After tearing up the boutiques on Main Street, they did a sobriety check.

“Still drunk,” Ruby confirmed. 

“Same.” 

That was how they ended up in the back of Stan’s cruiser. Luckily his partner had called out for the day. 

“Would you rather arrest us for drunk driving?” Ruby had cried into the phone. 

“Stan!” Beth hiccuped, “Stan you are the  _ best _ ,” 

“Thanks, Beth,” Stan grumbled, glaring at her through the rearview mirror. He mumbled something that sounded like  _ bad influence _ . 

So when Beth jumped out of the police car in front of her house, she could understand why the neighbors all stared. 

“Bye, guys!” she cried, waving to Ruby and Stan. Ruby waved back enthusiastically as they drove off. 

She cursed, then giggled, as she tried to haul the shopping bags over her shoulder and make it to the front door. Frowning, she tried to punch in the key code, but it failed. 

Hadn’t Rio changed the code the other day? He definitely did. But now Beth couldn’t remember the new passcode for the life of her. She sat on the stoop, chin in hand, thinking deeply. Then she remembered that her phone could unlock the door using some app Rio had downloaded. 

But her phone was dead.

“Ughhhhhhhh.” 

Beth waited on the front stoop, swaying back and forth. Rio should be home soon. 

She didn’t have to wait long, and she cheered when his familiar G-Wagon turned onto the street. 

He frowned as climbed out of the car and approached the front door. Beth threw her hands up. 

“My savior!” 

Rio popped an eyebrow, suddenly understanding the situation .

“Why are you sittin’ out here, darlin?” 

Beth pouted. “I can’t remember the stupid code. And my phone is dead.” 

Rio rolled his eyes to the heavens. “It’s your birthday, Elizabeth.” 

“Ohhhhhhhhhh.” 

Rio sighed and gathered up her shopping bags before punching in the code. The door unlocked and Beth stumbled in, grinning the entire way. 

“What are the neighbors gonna think?” Rio teased, steadying his drunk wife. 

“Karen can go fuuuuuck herself,” Beth sang.

Rio smirked. “I agree.” 

Then she flung herself at him, knocking him back against the door. She pressed her lips to his and jumped. He caught her just in time as her legs wrapped around his waist. 

“Let’s make another baby,” she moaned. 

“Now I know you’re definitely wasted.” Rio laughed, but carried her up the stairs to their bedroom anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sincerely sorry that it took me this long to update. I want to thank Jade (@jade-marie on tumblr) for whipping me into shape. I have an entire outline for this sequel, and it's a doozy! Let me know what you thought of chapter 3!


	4. Bless Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's get smutty.
> 
> Then-
> 
> Beth goes to book club. 
> 
> Read the new tags y'all.

_ Need you home now.  _

Rio’s eyes scanned the short message, his blood pressure beginning to rise. Elizabeth rarely sent emergency texts. Her messages usually included lots of hearts, emojis and pictures of Cami. 

So yeah, he was worried. 

“My girl needs me,” he said to Mick, shoving his phone in his pocket. “You good?” 

Mick nodded, his eyes never leaving the guys unloading the trucks in front of the warehouse. 

“I got this, boss.” 

Rio clapped his best friend’s shoulder. Mick was always reliable, and for that he was thankful. It wasn’t about the money for Mick, it was pure loyalty. They had grown up together, been friends since the first grade, had gotten jumped into the  _ Kings  _ together. Without Mick, Rio wasn’t sure if he'd be alive today.

He drove fifteen miles over the speed limit. Every cop in the city knew his car, and none of them would dare pull him over. Rio tapped the steering wheel impatiently at each red light and debated blowing through each one. 

When he finally pulled up the driveway he wasted no time jumping out of the driver’s seat and hurrying through the garage toward the backdoor. 

It was locked. 

Rio frowned, but inside he was pleased. He was constantly lecturing Elizabeth about locking the door, especially when he wasn’t home. Seemed like she was finally listenin’ for once. 

He punched in the code, but his frown deepened at the keypad turning red, indicating that it was the incorrect password. Rio tried again but was met with the same result. 

Now he was worried, and he raced around the yard toward the front door. He pulled out his phone, attempting to unlock the door through the security app, but that didn’t work either. 

Tension coursed through his entire body, nerves fraying. His mind explored the worst conclusions - someone was in his house, had forced Elizabeth to change the codes, was now holding her and Cami hostage. 

Without thinking he banged on the front door. 

“Elizabeth!” 

He almost stumbled back as the door swung open, revealing his flushed wife. His eyes immediately did a full body scan, checking for injuries. There were no marks or bruises, nothing indicating that she was hurt in any way. 

It was only a moment later he realized she was wearing a  _ very  _ short, silk robe and platform sandals. 

“Elizabeth, what-”

“Hi,” she said breathlessly, pushing a piece of hair out of her face, “are you here to fix the sink?” 

Rio’s jaw dropped. “The sink? The fuck are you-”

Elizabeth’s arm shot out, grabbing him by the front of his hoodie, dragging him inside. She shut the door with her foot, and slowly untied the front of her robe, letting it flutter to the floor.

Rio’s mouth went dry at the sight before him. His wife was wearing a light pink lingerie set, complete with a matching pink collar around her dainty neck. 

“My husband will be home soon,” she whimpered, “we’ll have to be fast.” 

He understood now. That 911 text wasn’t for a real emergency. His wife just wanted his dick. 

Rio will be annoyed later, give her a lecture about the importance of texts like the one she sent. But now? Now he had to fuck his girl. 

His hand shot out, his fingers following around the path of the collar, and squeezing lightly. Elizabeth gasped as he yanked her forward by the neck until their lips were barely an inch apart. 

“I ain’t gonna be fast,” he murmured, “Imma take my time with you.” 

His other hand slid down her hip, reaching around and squeezing her ass  _ hard _ . 

Elizabeth’s pupils were blown wide with lust. Her clouded blue gaze in a trance as she fisted her little hands into his chest. It  _ had  _ been a while. A week, perhaps. Between caring for the one-year-old and working, they didn’t have a lot of time to themselves anymore. Before Cami, they used to have sex every day, sometimes twice. 

Rio was already hard as a rock, his cock itching to nestle deep inside his wife’s tight pussy. But he was a man of his word. He was gonna go slow, make her beg. 

“Pleeeease fuck me,” Elizabeth moaned, her fingers clawing at him. 

“Relax, mami,” Rio replied, hand still firmly grasping her neck, “you know I take care of you. Give you what your husband can’t.” His lips twitched in amusement at her little fantasy roleplay. 

Elizabeth surged into him, pressing her soft lips against his eager ones in a searing kiss. She slipped her tongue in his mouth, moaning softly around him. His cock felt like it was going to explode already at the taste of her sweet lips. He pulled away despite her whimpers of protest. 

“You been a good girl while I was gone, Elizabeth?” 

She nodded eagerly, reaching between them to fumble with his belt. Rio released his grip on her neck and slapped her hands away. 

“Nah, you’ve been bad, haven’t ya?” 

He began to move them backwards, away from the foyer, and toward the downstairs guest bedroom. He assumed Cami was asleep in her crib upstairs, and if they wanted to be loud they couldn’t go to their own room. 

“I’ve been good,” Elizabeth pleaded, nearly stumbling over her high heels as he pressed her against the door to the bedroom. 

“Right,” he drawled, slipping two fingers to the crotch of her damp panties and pressing hard. “cuz cheatin’ on your husband, who paid for this big ol’ house and all your pretty clothes, is bein’ good?” 

She broke character for a moment to squawk in protest, but Rio cut her off with another kiss, pushing the door open and closing it shut behind them. He smiled against her lips. His blood was coursing through his veins. Elizabeth had no idea what she was getting herself into, he wanted to mark up her pale skin, fuck her so hard and so good that she forgot her own name, and would think twice next time she ever thought about tricking him into coming home. 

Her breasts were barely contained by the flimsy lace bra, and Rio ripped the pathetic cups down, then decided,  _ fuck it _ , and tore the bra off completely, tossing it carelessly to the ground. 

“Hey! I liked that bra,” Elizabeth complained. 

Rio ducked his head, capturing a pink nipple between his teeth, making her groan. 

“I’ll buy you a new one,” he murmured against her breast. 

It was probably his money that paid for the set, anyway. 

Elizabeth’s small fingers tugged at his hoodie, gesturing that she wanted him to take it off. She must have felt too underdressed, standing only in her pretty little panties while he was still fully clothed. He liked that she felt vulnerable and exposed like this, even after all this time of being together. 

So he ripped her panties easily until she was standing in nothing but her heels and collar.

“Get on the bed,” he growled, taking in his naked wife. 

He loved how submissive Elizabeth could be in the bedroom, loved how she trusted him to take charge and make her feel good. It was a trust he didn’t intend to ever break. 

She scooted back into the center of the bed, licking her lips and watching him kick off his shoes and socks, and strip off his hoodie and t-shirt with wide eyes.

He crawled over her, caging her in, fingers toying with the collar, pulling every once in a while to hear her choked gasp as he kissed her deeply. He’d avoided playing between her legs, wanted her to moan and cry until he relented. Her nipples were rock hard against his chest, and she bucked her hips up, attempting to create some friction. 

“Please touch me,” she begged, tightly gripping his shoulders. 

“I am touchin’ you,” he teased, sucking a hickey below the collar on her neck. 

She groaned in frustration and tried to yank his hips forward. 

“You know what I mean.” 

“Bad girls don’t get rewards,” he chastised her, roughly pinching her taut nipple. 

He wished the handcuffs were in the drawer of this bedroom, but instead they sat tauntingly in the master bedroom. Rio was itching to tie her up, really make her beg, but he’d have to improvise.

Despite his body’s protests, he pulled away from her, standing at the edge of the bed. He unbuckled his belt, considered giving her ass a few smacks with it, but the sight of her licking her lips and staring at his crotch was too much, and he unzipped his jeans. 

“Get on your knees.” 

She scrambled to fulfil his order, eagerly sinking to the floor. He pulled his hard cock out and gave it a few strokes to relieve some of the pressure. 

“Hands behind your back,” he ordered, “if they leave, you gon’ be real sorry.” 

With her arms twisted around her back and eager mouth open for him, he gripped the back of her head and pushed his cock through her waiting lips. He groaned low, twisting a few locks of strawberry hair in his fingers. 

She bobbed her head back and forth, sucking the life out of his straining cock. When he hit the back of her throat her eyes began to water, and he took momentary pity on her, thrusting shallowly so she could catch her breath. But she went back for more, taking him all the way in and deepthroating his dick like a champ. God, this woman was truly gonna kill him. 

He felt the familiar tingles of an orgasm beginning to rip through his veins, and he yanked her head away by the roots of her hair. She gasped for air, spit and precum dribbling down her lips. 

“That’s a good girl,” he praised, wiping her chin with his thumb. She leaned into his touch, whimpering at the praise. He gently stroked her cheek before twisting his fingers through the collar and yanking her up. “You wanna get fucked now?” 

“Yes,” she moaned.

She quickly hopped back on the bed, opening her legs for him. He took in her dripping pussy and nearly came right there at the sight. He and his cock both awaited his decision of what position he wanted her in. Usually, he loved taking her from behind, but today he wanted to watch her face as she came. 

He got on all fours over her, lifted her leg over his shoulder and swiftly pushed in. She cried out at the initial stretch, despite how wet she was. Rio cursed, taking a moment to center himself as her wetness coated his length. 

Then he began to move, faster and faster until Elizabeth was crying out incoherently. He pounded into his wife, the sound of her wet cunt sopping against him the most beautiful symphony. He snaked his hands under her waist, gripped her ass cheeks hard, and pushed in even further. 

He could feel her beginning to come, the walls of her pussy vibrating treacherously around his dick, then coating it with a wave of fresh juices. 

“ _ Rio! _ ” 

His name on her lips nearly made him explode as well, but he kept his pace and held off his own orgasm, wanting to draw this out as long as possible. 

He flung her other leg over his opposite shoulder until she was nearly folded in half. Her fingers twisted in the sheets as she whimpered and thrashed, her pussy overly sensitive. 

“Don’t run away now, baby,” he mocked, “You’re the one who wanted this. Now take what I give you, like a good girl.” 

A few tears leaked from her eyes, but Rio would know when she hit her breaking point. 

“I can’t,” she gasped. 

Holding himself up with one arm, he slid his fingers between their bodies to cruelly toy with her swollen clit, all the while slamming into her. 

“You gonna come again, mami.” he rasped into her ear. “C’mon, now.” 

He watched as her beautiful face crumpled in a silent scream. It was all too much for him, and Rio finally reached his own peak, spilling into her tight pussy with a low growl.

They lay boneless in bed for several moments, Elizabeth lowering her shaking legs from his shoulders. His cock continued to pulse inside her. 

“Baby, I just got you pregnant again.” He said, chuckling lightly into her neck. 

Elizabeth gave a weak laugh, then moaned when he pulled out. 

“I love you,” she whispered. 

Rio’s heart swelled at her words, and he took in the disastrous state of the bed and the painstakingly beautiful woman sprawled out in the center of it. 

“Love you too, mami.” 

He cleaned her up and made sure she was okay before going to grab a glass of water. When he returned she had covered herself with the sheet, leaning against the headboard 

Pressing a kiss to her forehead and handing her the glass of water, Rio quickly dressed. 

“You have to go back?” she pouted, taking a sip of water.

“Got a lotta shipments comin’ in today.” 

It was true, important ones, too. A massive shipment of pills was scheduled to be delivered in an hour, and Rio couldn’t afford for there to be any issues. The client was expecting nothing less than perfection. 

“Legit ones?” 

Rio winked. 

“All my business is legit, baby.” 

Elizabeth scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Mhm.” 

Rio smirked, bending down to tie his shoes. If he could spend the day in bed with his wife he would. 

He straightened up and bent over the side of the bed to capture Elizabeth’s lips with his own. She hummed into his mouth, running her hand down his shirt. 

“We gonna have a lil talk later about sendin’ emergency texts like that, mami.” he murmured against her mouth, his fingers curling through the collar and yanking playfully, “Damn near gave me a heart attack.” 

Elizabeth giggled, much to his chagrin. Taking in her fucked-out state, he’d say she didn’t regret it one bit.

“But it was an emergency,” she pouted, “the sink is actually broken.” 

Rio resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“I’ll send one of my guys over to take a look at it,” he promised, then paused, “and you best be dressed like a nun when you answer the door.” 

Elizabeth burst into laughter, and Rio couldn’t help but grin back. 

xxx 

It was bound to happen one day, but Beth couldn’t help but curse to herself as she made her way up Karen’s perfectly manicured lawn - book in one hand and a plate of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies in the other. 

The week before she’d been taking her usual early afternoon walk with Cami, enjoying the surprisingly sunny day and pushing her daughter’s stroller. She’d begrudgingly waved at Karen from across the street. Karen seemed quite into her fast-walk workout, vigorously pumping two-pound hand weights with each long stride, so Beth didn’t think she’d have to  _ engage _ . 

But then Karen had perked up upon seeing Beth wave, and made her way across the street. Beth plastered on a fake smile, removing the air pods from her ears. 

“Beth!” Karen had squealed, as if they didn’t see each other in passing nearly every day, “Your little girl gets bigger every time I see her.” 

They went through the usual song and dance about how Cami had been doing - she only woke up once a night for a bottle and diaper change, she was now saying “ma” and “da” and yes, Rio was at work for the day. 

Beth “ooh’ed and ‘aah’ed at the right places as Karen told her all about how her eighteen-year-old son was rushing a fraternity at Michigan State. Internally, Beth was screaming. 

“So I’ve been meaning to catch you one of these days,” Karen started, her body language indicating that she must be excited about something, Beth cringed. “Me and some of the ladies on the block have a book club the first Thursday of every month. We were wondering if you wanted to join us?” 

Beth froze, fake smile never leaving her lips.  _ Fuck _ , she’d thought, her brain scrambling for an excuse,  _ any  _ excuse really. 

“Oh, that’s so thoughtful,” Beth gushed, “But I don’t know if I’ll be able to find a sitter for Cami on such short notice.” She made a show of rolling her eyes a bit, as if her daughter was always blocking her from fun social events. 

Karen waved her hand. 

“Bring her with you! It’s no problem, sweetie. All of us have just been  _ dying  _ to get our hands on that little girl. She’s just so darned cute!” 

Beth gasped a little, shaking her head.

“I couldn’t, Karen, she can be quite a handful. And I wouldn’t want her to ruin the night by crying…” 

She never thought she’d be hoping that Cami would burst out into hysterics on their morning walk, but Beth eyed the little girl, praying that a fresh wave of tears would suddenly emerge… 

But Cami sat peacefully in her stroller, cooing up at Karen adorably. 

“She’s an angel,” Karen cried, “You simply must bring her. It’s no trouble at all. Here, I’ll text you the details…” 

And that was how Beth found herself standing on Karen’s front porch at 7 pm on Thursday night. 

She scowled, thinking about how Rio had howled with laughter when she recounted the story to him when he arrived home that night. 

“C’mon, mami,” he’d teased, “don’t you wanna be a productive member of our flourishin’ community?” 

Beth shoved at his chest. “You go then!”

Rio tsked. “I ain’t invited.” 

Then: “They want me to bring Cami.”

“No way in hell.” 

So now Beth didn’t even have the excuse of the baby crying to make an early exit. She pictured Rio at home right now, lying on the couch, Cami curled up on his lap as they watched ESPN highlights. Frustration boiled hot in her belly, but she clamped it down when the door swung open, revealing a grinning Karen. 

“Beth! We’re so glad you could make it!” Karen exclaimed, her voice a little too high-pitched and her cheeks a little too flushed. Somebody had started early. 

“Oh my gosh, me too!” Beth said, matching Karen’s enthusiastic tone. 

Suddenly, Karen’s face fell. 

“Where’s the baby?” 

Beth gave a sheepish smile.

“Oh, she’s at home with her dad. My husband has the night off and agreed to stay home with her.” 

Karen looked absolutely crestfallen for a moment before perking back up. 

“How cute, some daddy/daughter bonding time! It’s so nice of your husband to agree to babysit while we have our little girls night.” Karen giggled.

Internally, Beth rolled her eyes. Fathers didn’t  _ babysit  _ their own children. 

“Yes, I’m a lucky girl,” Beth forced out through gritted teeth. 

“Oh and you brought cookies, how sweet. Now come in, come in, it’s cold!” Karen said, ushering Beth into the foyer. 

For a split second, Beth considered dropping the cookies and making a break for it, but she forced her feet to move, one in front of the other, until she was standing awkwardly at the edge of the living room with half a dozen older ladies staring gleefully at her. 

“Ladies, you know Beth,” Karen started with a flourish, “She moved in to number twelve almost a year ago with her husband and baby girl.” 

The ladies chittered in approval, some making “aww”ing sounds at the mention of Cami. 

Beth could feel her cheeks heat up, and cleared her throat, holding up the platter of cookies.

“Where should I put these?” 

Karen grabbed the tray, whisking it away to the kitchen, saying she’d “bring it out again for dessert.” 

One of the ladies Beth recognized from down the street, Dorothy? Doris? Patted the cushion next to her on the couch. 

“Come now dear, don’t be shy. Sit next to me!” Beth remembered that she’d moved from the South, Alabama or Tennessee, maybe?

Beth offered her a smile and quickly sank down next to Dorothy/Doris in defeat. 

There was a moment of silence as the women all took her in, and Beth suddenly felt self-conscious in her black leggings, ankle boots and cosy v-neck sweater. All the ladies were dressed as if for a dinner party, pearls, lipstick and all. 

“So,” Beth said, clearing her throat, “I must admit I only got halfway through the book, so I apologize for-” Beth is interrupted by a chorus of giggles, and she chuckles nervously. “What’s so funny?” 

“Oh bless your heart,” Dorothy/Doris chortled from next to her.

A brunette with a bob cut named Emily leaned in and whispered conspiratorially:

“We don’t actually  _ read  _ the book.” 

Beth sat, stunned, as the women broke into laughter once more. She shifted awkwardly in her seat, hoping the index cards she’d taken notes on didn’t fall from the pages of the book.

And honestly, she shouldn’t be surprised. She’d been shocked when Karen had texted her the title of the book. It was on the  _ New York Times  _ bestseller list, and had been praised by critics for its “Deep dive into the social injustices faced by first-generation Russian immigrants.” It hadn’t seemed like a book any of the neighborhood ladies would be remotely interested in… 

“Oh,” Beth replied sheepishly, unsure of what to do with her hands now that she’d set the book down. 

“Oh bless her heart!” Dorothy/Doris repeated.

A woman that Beth remembered was closer to her age, Katie, poured a generous glass of red wine and handed it over sympathetically. Beth gave her relieved look and downed half the glass in one go. 

Thankfully the attention moved away from her as Emily launched into a very detailed story about how her gardener was caught smoking weed on the job. Beth scanned the large coffee table in front of her, which was packed with an assortment of charcuterie, shrimp and mini meatballs that no one seemed to be eating. 

“And then he  _ offered  _ me some!” Emily screeched, and the ladies burst into laughter. 

“Did you take it?” Karen yelled, suddenly reappearing from the kitchen to sit in a plush armchair next to Katie.

At least Katie looked almost as uncomfortable as Beth. 

“Heavens, no!” Emily gasped, her hand clutching her chest as if she’d just been taken with the vapors, “I fired him immediately! Julio or Juan or something of that sort.” 

Beth chugged the rest of her wine and poured herself another glass.

“Juan does  _ my  _ gardening,” another lady, Antoinette, said with a gasp. “No wonder he’s always smiling! And I could have  _ sworn  _ that my rose bushes were uneven.” 

Emily nodded eagerly. “You know how those…  _ people  _ are.” 

Her statement was met with nods of approval. Beth snuck a glance at Katie, who had polished off her second glass of wine. 

Unbeknownst to Beth, who was busy shoving a mini meatball in her mouth, Karen cleared her throat loudly and glanced around the room awkwardly. 

“We apologize, Beth,” Karen said sweetly. 

Beth was in the middle of chewing on a cracker when the attention swivelled back to her. She swallowed hastily, choking a bit on the dry snack. A few crumbs fell down her sweater. 

“What?” 

“What we mean is, where’s your husband from?” Antoinette asked gently - as if she were questioning Beth on the state of American politics. 

“Um,” Beth paused, confused by the curious eyes, “Detroit.” 

Karen tsked, shaking her head. “No, we mean where was he born?” 

Beth’s head spun, and she looked around the room in even more confusion.

“...Michigan?” she tried.

“Honey, where’s his  _ family  _ from?” Dorothy/Doris chimed in, raising her eyebrows a few times. 

Suddenly Beth understood and God, there wasn’t enough wine in the world.

“Oh, well his parents were born in Mexico…”

There were nods of approval from around the room, and the ladies looked pleased with themselves, as if they’d been betting on her husband’s ethnicity. Beth quickly drank the rest of her wine before she felt the urge to throw it in Karen’s smug face. 

“So tell us, how did you two meet?” Antoinette gushed, leaning in and putting her chin in her hands. 

Beth blinked slowly, wishing she was anywhere but on Karen’s hideous purple couch. 

“We met in high school,” she said shortly, refilling her glass.

“Oh how  _ cute _ ,” Karen cooed, “High school sweethearts?” 

“Not exactly,” Beth mumbled into her wine, too low for anyone to hear… except for Dorothy/Doris, who must have had ears like a hawk. 

“Oh?” she asked, “So y’all two didn’t date in highschool?” 

“We did. But not for very long before, um, we broke up.” Beth said, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. 

“Why did you two break up?!” Karen cried, intrigued by the story.

_ Because his psychotic crime boss tried to shoot me but Rio took the bullet instead, then broke my heart to keep me safe, all the while getting revenge on those who betrayed him and becoming head of the gang before moving into more legit businesses.  _

“We wanted different things at the time,” Beth said as casually as possible.

Karen hummed in delight. “But true love can’t be broken! And tell us how you reconnected?”

Beth’s blood thrummed in her veins. A painful trip down memory lane wasn’t what she’d been planning to experience when Karen invited her to “Book Club.” 

“It’s kind of a long, boring story,” Beth said with a small laugh, waving her hand, “Can you please show me to the restroom, Karen?” 

Once she was finally, blessedly alone, Beth took her sweet time. She stared at the odd painting of a dancing dolphin across from the toilet as she peed. When she glanced up in the mirror as she washed her hands she realized she was tipsy. 

It still wasn’t enough. 

Leaning against the counter, she checked her phone. There was a message from Rio.

_ Hows book club? _

Beth scoffed. 

_ Help. Me. _

Beth added half a dozen emojis with the eyes crossed out, before squaring her shoulders and opening the door. 

She jumped a little at the sight of Katie, who was leaning against the wall across from the bathroom.

“Sorry,” Katie said, “didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You’re good,” Beth said.

The two women measured each other up, assessing how the other might be feeling, before Katie popped an eyebrow in amusement.

“They’re something, aren’t they? God, I’m glad I’m not the newbie anymore.” 

Beth exhaled, cheeks pinkening. “The newbie?” 

Katie nodded, rolling her eyes. “I moved in two years ago, and I was the scandal of the neighborhood.” 

Beth stared. “Scandal?” 

“My husband is half Korean,” Katie said, scoffing a bit. “You don’t see many mixed couples around here. So now you’ve beaten me out for the most scandalous relationship. Cheers.” Katie lifted her glass. 

“Ugh. God. Why do you even come to these things?” Beth asked. 

Katie shrugged. “I’m a bored housewife, too. Gives me something to do. Plus, free food and booze.” 

Beth shook her head. “I don’t think I could ever be bored enough to come to this thing again.” 

“It gets better,” Katie tried reassured her, “Once the attention is off you. It’s kinda funny sometimes, too. Karen is always trying to one-up Antoinette. Their sons are the same age.” 

“Mhm.” Beth hummed skeptically, not convinced.

Katie took a sip of her wine, regarding Beth over the glass.

“So I see you walking with your daughter almost every day. How come you’ve never asked to hang out?” 

Beth flushed, surprised by the bluntness of Katie’s question, when the entire night had been full of probing innuendos. 

“I - uh -,” Beth stuttered, “Sorry, but whenever I saw you I kinda assumed you were a snob like the rest of them.” 

Katie nodded, unphased. “It’s okay. I thought the same of you.”

Beth burst into laughter, and Katie joined in, giggling behind her hand. 

“Really?” she asked, not offended by Katie’s initial opinion, just curious.

“I mean, have you seen yourself?” Katie waved her up and down, “You’ve got this total hot cheerleader vibe going on.”

“Oh god,” Beth groaned, “I was on the dance team in high school and college.”

Katie snapped her fingers. “That makes sense... I’m sorry for judging you.”

“No,  _ I’m  _ sorry,” Beth said quickly. “So what can I expect when we go back in there?”

Her new friend hummed, tapping her chin.

“They’re dying to know what your husband does for a living. Half of them think he smuggles drugs for the cartel, the other half says arms dealer.” 

Beth couldn’t help but crack up again. Arms dealing and the cartel? No. But drugs…. Well sort of. 

“He owns a few businesses and apartments in downtown and midtown.” Beth supplied.

“They’re gonna be very disappointed to hear that,” Katie sighed, then checked her watch, “We should probably head back before they start a lesbian rumour about us.” 

“Sure,” Beth said, pushing off the wall and following Katie back to the dreaded living room, the sound of giggles and faux laughter getting closer.

“Oh, by the way. They also have a bet on whether your boobs are real.” 

xxx 

An hour later Beth found herself four glasses of wine deep. Four  _ big  _ glasses. Katie was right, they interrogated her about Rio’s occupation, and the looks of disappointment were almost laughable when Beth told them he was a business owner. As if Beth would tell anyone what her husband really does for a living. It was laughable the group thought she would spill her guts:

_ Yep. My husband pushes pills, launders fake cash through his businesses and occasionally runs protection rackets. Karen, can you please pass the shrimp? _

“I just have to ask, what’s with the tattoo?” Doris (Beth discovered it wasn’t Dorothy) asked loudly, popping a heavily drawn-in eyebrow. 

The group looked at her expectantly, and Katie chuckled into her glass. 

“He got it young. Thought it would make him look cool.” Beth lied as easily as the wine flowed from the bottle into her glass. 

“So it’s not some sort of… gang thing?” Karen asked boldly. 

_ Oh, fuck off, Karen.  _

“Really, Karen?” Katie cut in, exasperated. Beth shot her only friend a grateful look, but Karen remained persistent. 

“I think we’d all like to know what kind of man we’re living next to.” 

“No, of course not,” Beth forced out a laugh, “Christopher might look intimidating, but he’s a great husband and father.” 

A few of the women tittered. 

“I could have sworn I saw tattoos on his fingers,” Karen chimed in again, and Beth could easily picture wrapping her hands around Karen’s pearl clad throat, “It said  _ King? _ What does that mean, Beth?”

The wine and lack of food had made the women bolder. She only saw Emily take a small nibble of a cracker before setting it back down on her plate. 

“I don’t know, Karen,” Beth said, façade cracking, “What does it mean when your husband books two tickets to Cozumel but doesn’t invite you?” 

Beth smirked as the room fell eerily silent. She may have heard Antoinette and Emily gossiping in the hall about Karen’s husband’s little adventure to Mexico with his mistress while Beth was helping bring out the desserts. 

Karen’s face twisted in fury, the grip on her wine glass so tight, Beth thought it might break. Antoinette covered her mouth to hide a smile. 

But Karen recovered quickly, her features smoothing out into a serene smile.

“It must be so hard that your baby doesn’t look like you, Beth,” Karen said in mock-sympathy, “She got her daddy’s skin color, after all.” 

Beth shot up from her seat, face quickly turning red. Insulting her and Rio? Fine. But attacking her daughter? Beth saw red. 

“I’m sure your kids looked like you at one point, Karen, before you got a face lift, lip injections and liposuction.” 

This time Karen cracked and couldn’t recover. She jumped from her chair as well, wine sloshing from her glass and onto the crisp white carpet. Emily tried to tug her back down into the armchair, but Karen stood her ground. 

“Get out of my house,” Karen bit out. 

Beth was almost disappointed, she’d have welcomed coming to physical blows. She was a lot more like her husband than she thought. 

“With pleasure,” Beth snarled, grabbing her purse, she could feel all the women’s eyes on her as she stalked toward the door. With her handle on the doorknob, she turned to face the room, “Oh, and Karen? Your pumpkin tart is  _ bland _ .” 

Beth smirked as she heard a chorus of gasps behind her, and slammed the door. 

She tried her best to walk a straight line down the brightly lit road, and nearly stumbled trying to get up on the sidewalk. Steadying herself, she cursed, attempting to put a lid on the white hot fury racing through her. How  _ dare  _ Karen come after her daughter? Beth had half a mind to go back to the house and punch Karen in her fake nose. 

“Beth, wait!” 

A familiar voice called after her, and Beth turned to see Katie jogging down the street. 

“What?” Beth snapped. Even though her and Katie had bonded, her new friend had only jumped in once to try and help her. 

“Karen was way out of line. I’m so sorry,” Katie said breathlessly, huffing a piece of hair out of her face. 

“It’s not you who needs to apologize,” Beth grumbled, spinning on her heel and continuing down the street to her house. Katie hurried after her. 

“I do, I should have stuck up for you more. I’m sorry I didn’t, God,” Katie sighed, running a hand over her face, “maybe I am becoming as bad as them.” 

Beth scoffed. “You’re not,” 

Katie walked beside Beth silently, swaying a bit also. She dug into her purse, and Beth watched curiously from the corner of her eye. 

“You want a hit?” Katie asked, holding up a tightly rolled joint. 

Beth’s jaw dropped, and she couldn’t help but huff out a laugh.

“Are you serious?” 

Katie shrugged. “Juan is my gardener, too.” 

xxx 

As expected, Rio was on the couch with Cami in his lap, watching baseball highlights from the weekend. Beth stormed into the house, tossing her purse on the ground. Rio popped an eyebrow at her carelessness with her favorite Chanel purse. 

“You okay, mami?” Rio asked cautiously. 

“Oh yeah, just fine,” Beth said, then unexpectedly burst into giggles. 

Rio frowned, and placed Cami in her playpen before making his way over to Beth, taking in her red eyes.

“Are you stoned?” he asked incredulously, “what the fuck kind of book club was that?” 

Beth giggled, but then frowned, remembering how pissed off she was. 

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” she grumbled, she perked up suddenly. “Did you order pizza?” 

She quickly made her way to the discarded pizza box on the table, and shoved a slice of pepperoni into her mouth, chewing angrily. 

Rio studied her with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. Beth broke out into laughter, nearly choking on her pizza. 

“They insulted you,” she said, “And Cami.” 

“ _ What _ ?” 

“Oops,” Beth said, covering her mouth with her hand. She hadn’t meant to spill the beans that bluntly. 

“What did they say?” Rio asked darkly. 

“Some racist bullshit. I told Karen off and she kicked me out,” Beth shrugged, taking another bite of pizza. “Really wanted to deck her in front of all her snobby friends.” 

Rio’s lips quirked. “I love watchin’ you fight, mami. So hot.” 

Beth rolled her eyes, finishing off her crust. “I’m tired.” 

Rio pushed a piece of hair out of her face, then used his thumb to wipe off a bit of sauce from the corner of her lip. 

“Wanna fuck?” he asked. 

He was never one for romance. Beth thought for a moment.

“Sure.” 

She changed out of her clothes and into a big t-shirt and fresh pair of panties before climbing into bed and waited for Rio to put the baby down. She could hear him murmuring to Cami in spanish over the baby monitor, and she smiled to herself.

As she snuggled further under the covers she felt her eyelids grow heavy. She’d close them for just a moment. 

She didn’t wake up until the next morning. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter grew legs and ran away from me. It was going to include Brio Thanksgiving, but we'll have to wait until next chapter. Thanks to Jade for continuously bullying me and also proofreading at 3 am. Mwuah.


End file.
